


Chasing Fate and Dreams

by chrissap21



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-18 18:26:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18124871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chrissap21/pseuds/chrissap21
Summary: After being done with their game, Xehanort needs a break, but an unexpected intruder keeps him and Eraqus on their toes.





	Chasing Fate and Dreams

“Alright, up for another round? The master told me about quite a few other games to play!” The boy in white proclaimed as he had actually won against his co-student for a change and picked up different sets of white and black chess pieces.  
While sorting them to and fro the boy in black to his opposite flung his hands up and behind his white haired head, staring outside.

I am honestly not really feeling like playing another round. Can’t we just take a break? Look outside, the weather is fantastic!”

He extended his hand to open up the window, letting in the sea’s fresh and salty breeze. Though they were located at the highest point in Scala ad Caelum the two could still get a fantastic overview of the countless number of people going on their daily business.

Children were running around the streets, throwing around balls made out of rubber, begging their parents buy things from the food stalls or trying to show off to their friends by attempting to summon their keyblades.

Eraqus leaned his face on one of his palms, throwing his gaze over the whole town and let out a happy sigh. “Do you know when the next training unit is supposed to be Xe?” he asked, letting his eyes wander towards the boy clothed in black.

“In around, uh, I think 4 hours...? Or did the plan change?” he hesitatingly responded , doubts starting to cloud his mind, usually Eraqus was the one to know the plan from the back his head and heart, not him! In response Eraqus simply let out a quiet chuckle.

“I am messing with you Xe! We don’t even have practice today!”

He proclaimed as he jumped off the windowsill, making his white mantle flutter in the sea's breeze brushing through tthe boy‘s hair as the two of them started to laugh and head towards the grand room’s exit.

Xehanort slightly opened the door as the two of them heard a sound from behind them and simultaneously turned around in response, just to spot a curious, white seagull standing on the window’s edge.

Frozen with shock in their eyes, their stares quickly wandered from the bird to the opened window and back again as they observed how the bird jumped into the room and hopped onto their game’s checkered playing field.

As their pupils moved around with every hop that the bird did they realized that it most likely did not mean to fly around the room and started, without looking at each other or exchanging a single word, to carefully sneak towards their playing field, which got more and more mutilated by the bird.

As in perfect synchronicity the students inched closer and closer towards their goal, cold sweat gathering on their brows, both knowing too well that on a single misstep the bird would mess up the entire room and might even soil the sacred keyblade that had been kept here for what they’d assume had been ages. Little by little they came closer to the bird that was more interested in tossing around the little figures placed on the board than exiting the room or paying attention to the two boys at all.

As they were almost halfway there, the gull pecked out a figure and readied it’s wings in preparation to leave the room behind in favor of the great outdoors once more. On that sight Xehanort had already summoned his keyblade in a ray of light into his hand, pointing it directly at the bird.

“Don’t you even dare to do this!” he shouted towards the bird, which only shot the white haired boy a glare of what felt like pure mischief and then jumped out of the window to take flight simply moments after. With an angry shout the tip of the boy’s keyblade started glowing with it's accumulated energy, the weapon itself still tracing the flying bird’s movements with dangerous and steeled precision.

“NO!” was the only thing Eraqus could say as he pushed away the weapon in his friend’s hand which in turn released the energy in a burst towards one of the curtains that framed the windows, leaving a clean cross shaped cut that extended right through the window.

“You can’t just kill a bird over a game’s piece!”

“But I thought, I thought you liked that game so much, I just, well I just wanted to get it back.”

The white haired boy let his gaze drop to the floor from the corner of his eye and let the blade in his hand vanish in a flash of light. Then put his right hand on his left arm and turned around to head outside once more, his pace accelerating as he got closer to the still opened door, footsteps echoing through the nearly silent room.

As he put his right foot down the hall he felt a very familiar touch on his arm, he turned his head up and around just to stare into Eraqus‘ bright and welcoming eyes, his mouth instantly turning into a broad smile.

“Now now, it might be important to me, but you can’t just take someone’s live over something so minor you hear me? And now come come, I am getting that piece back and you are not just going to stand around here and be sad that I won‘t let you be a violent boy you hear me? You‘re going to help me out as much as you can!”

Without giving him a slightest hint of a chance to think about it, Eraqus dragged Xehanort towards the window, still eyeing the thievish seagull with exact precision. He proceeded to open up the window in it‘s entirety, positioning himself on the right half, while placing Xehanort on the left one.

“Okay, you have to grab my hand the second we are out of the window, just trust me!”

“Trusting you? In this height? That is a little hard when I am completely honest, what are you planning?”

“Come on, trust me, did I ever betray you? Or lie to you?”

“Well you pretty much just cheated on that last round we played when I am completely honest.”

Eraqus let out a bellowing laugh and shifted his gaze from Xehanort towards the ground laying to the grant tower‘s base. Under them the almost endless depth of the ladder to the sky spread into hundreds of individual paths and houses built from the same pure white stone, etched by those that came before to leave their legacy.

Eraqus inhaled deeply, slowly expanding his chest, his bodyhair steadily rising in anticipation, muscles tensing as he clenched his fists and closed his eyes. For a moment there was pure silence, only the rustling of hair in the salty sea‘s air pierced through it, until Eraqus broke the tranquility.

“Now!

As he jumped down Xehanort let himself fall down as well without a second of hesitation. For a moment they stared at each other, their clothes fluttering against the ground’s massive gravitational force, yet as they grasped each others hands the noise of their garments died down almost in an instant. Xehanort did not realize it until he looked around him, his pupils widening in disbelief. Their bodies were completely suspended in midair, only slightly moving by the little adjustments Eraqus made while keeping them in the air.

“When did you even learn this? You’re incredible!”

Xehanort shouted twirling around the boy in white, grabbing one hand as he let go of the other. Eraqus traced his path with his eyes and chuckled into his free hand, then stopped his friend during his frolic and looked him into the eyes with a wide grin on his mouth.

“While you were studying magic of course! The master readied a wide room and gave me some practice lessons! I can try to teach you as well but first we’ll need to catch that seagull! We can’t make it without your magic so you better get ready! Oh you also should not exhaust yourself, I am currently stimulating your body in a way that you hold yourself up with your own power!”

The white haired boy nodded with determination, his eyes locked onto the one bird with a chess piece in it’s mouth, the piece‘s metal reflecting rays of light with golden shine in the sun‘s radiance. Without a sound they started moving at an outreagous pace, Xehanort could not feel any acceleration but just pure speed, it was as if the air itself encouraged the two of them to work together to fulfill their goal. As they slowly started to catch up on their quarry, the gull started to accelerate, trying it’s best to gain some precious height as the two boys could only glide horizonatlly, flying vertically was impossible in most cases according to the master himself.

“You need to stop it before it flies out of reach or leaves one of the islands!”

Eraqus exclaimed as he watched the ground below, noticing how they started getting dangerously close to the edge of tthe water which was admittedly larger than the other ones surrounding them. His glance wandered to his white haired friend, who had just turned his own head in the same second, nodding to each other in unison, followed by the high pitched sound of two keyblades getting willed into their hands at the same time. While Eraqus pointed his own blade behind the pair, Xehanort targeted the seagull precisely. “Are you ready?” asked the boy in white his voice unwavering, words spoken with such determination that Xehanort felt his body shaking for a second.  


“Always!”he answered, his keyblade pointed at the flying bird, unwavering and his clear eyes not straying from their precious quarry.

“Then go! Aero!” with Eraqus‘ simple words a gust of wind was created behind the two, propelling them with an exceptional speed towards their goal.

“Stop!” shouted Xemnas, a grey light shooting from his weapon that only a skilled magician could follow, hitting it’s target true and as if someone froze a tree‘s leaf in the air, the bird stopped moving entirely. Wings still being caught in flying motion and a shimmer of hope to escape still left in it’s eye.

“Quick Eraqus, grab the piece! I can’t hold the spell for too long without it draining too much of my energy!”

Done as he had been told by his friend, Eraqus stretched out his hand as far as he could, his keyblade disappearing in the same flash as it had been summoned to make room for the stolen chess piece. As he held it in his hand, the air was filled by a shrill noise, coming from the shocked bird who continued flying onwards, but throwing a mad glare at the two gravity defying boys.

“Can you believe it? We actually did it! We not only got our chess piece back but we also managed to put our abilities to good use for once! We should tell the master once we are back, right Xe?”

But as Eraqus turned towards his companion, he could only catch a glimpse of him cracking a smile while his eyes slowly closed. In just that second, the two were dragged down towards the ground at an alarming pace, as Xehanort could no longer conduct Eraqus’ magical energies that kept the both of them afloat in the lofty heights.

“Oh nonono, nono, nononono! What should I do, think think think!” Eraqus tried his best to break the fall but he couldn’t muster enough energy to pull both him and Xehanort up once more. “Waitwait, I feel like... this might work!”

With a quick motion he stored the Chess piece in one of his pockets and once more drew his keyblade. It‘s blac tip starting to glow with a blue shine, slowly started to crackle multiple blue sparks that got stronger and brighter as he kept his concentration up, just to fling the blade around in an ark and let the amassed energy go.

“Blizzaga!” he exclaimed as the energy formed a clear path of shimmering white ice to the ivory white ground, spreading in breadth to catch the two falling boys and let them slide savely down to the pure white stones of the island. Eraqus searched around him to find a bank and put Xehanort gently down on one of the ones that kept watch over the seemingly infinite ocean spreading over the whole realm.

As he looked up again, a gentle breeze picked up and ruffled through his black hair. He inhaled deeply, smelling pure essence of the sea, which was not the only thing carried towards him. His ears picked up the voice of one of the many people who sold their crafts or findings from other worlds they ventured to.

As he looked around, his eyes widened, spotting a nigh exceptional find and ran off, turning his head once more to his friend and nodding with a wide grin on his face.

 

As his eyes slowly opened after his exhaustion nap, Xehanort instantly got hit by a breeze, carrying the chatter of flying seagulls and the pure, salty smell he enjoyed so much from his home, yet his nose picked up something out of the ordinary as well mixed into the mixed smells that he got so used to, as often he had been around the streets he never got to feel this all too familiar, sweet smell that made his heart and soul light up with memories of the islands he knew only too well.

With his eyes slowly opening he felt as if he were there again, on the beautiful beach, bathed in the deep orange light that the sun extended from the horizon onto the world, but instead of catching the lush green colours of the trees and brushes, he instead saw his beloved friend’s face just above him, who was sitting there with the same, lovely smile on his face he would gift him whenever they were together, during the training, as well as their free time. During the walks under the gentle sun and during their swims while being watched by the countless stars in the sky.

He stared back, only now noticing that he had his head placed on his friend’s soft lap, while the rest of his body was laying on the warm, white stone of the bank. He shook his head and slowly wanted to get up, but he was pressed down by the hand of his friend, the push was forceful yet Xehanort trusted his long time companion and so he relaxed his upper body‘s muscles once more and put his head down onto Eraqus‘ legs again

“There, that’s better,” the black haired boy said, his tone as cheery as always, though Xehanort could hear worry in his voice.

“That spell you used was pretty strong, I know just casting time magic out of nowhere without any real practice is really hard, but you sure couldn’t stand it huh? If we told that to the master he would be more than worried, even at our age and with your background we should be able to cast those kinds of spells with little to no retaliation to our body.”

“Did you just keep my head down here so you could scold me in your oh so condescending way? If so I might as well just walk back right now.”

“Pfff, of course not, I kept you here because I have a surprise for you!”

Eraqus grabbed into his pocket and produced a yellow, star shaped fruit that shone brightly in the sun, with a single green leaf hanging from a small brown stem that once held the fruit on the tree it grew from.

Xehanort recognized the fruit instantly, the Papou fruit native to the islands of Destiny, that is said to connect the fates of those who shared one forever.

“Do you...do you know what this kind of fruit is, Eraqus?”

“Of course I do! The seller told me they are Papou fruits, she asked me if I bought it for a friend and when I said yes she just handed it to me for free, so it must have a meaning if you share it with someone no? Maybe good luck? Maybe eternal friendship, who knows!”

Xehanort was at a loss for words, his eyes widened as he followed Eraqus continued ramblings what else the fruit might mean or symbolize. He was entirely sure that his friend was just playing dumb again, same as with the game they had just been playing.

But at this point he didn’t care at all, he just thought it was too adorable to see his well educated friend go on and on, talking about a legend he probably knew but did not want to admit it, or just tease him.

And then, just out of nowhere, he stopped talking and broke the fruit in half. A little of it’s bright juices splashed towards Xehanort and he had to shield his face with his arm to protect his eyes.

As he removed it again one of the two halves were held just up above his face by Eraqus.

“So what do you say? Share one? They break almost unnaturally perfect in the middle so I thought it’d be perfect for two eh?”

Xehanort didn’t even answer, he just responded with opening his mouth slowly with an inviting “Aaaaah!” while he slowly felt one of the fruit’s edges touch his tongue, flooding his mouth with the sweet and wholesome taste that only a Papou fruit had.

He’d cherish this moment forever, he thought, never to forget that he shared this impossibly delicious treat with his most treasured friend.

“Master! We are back!” Eraqus heard the voice of his pupil echo from the great entrance hall of the Departure’s academy. He had sent out his pupils to a peaceful world in order for them to get used to travel through the great cosmic corridors that they would sooner or later utilize more and more frequently, were they truly to become keyblade masters.

He stood up from his large, throne like chair and went with one of his hands through his long black hair, shaking is head as he thought about the things they might bring along with them. As he heard their steps increase in volume the master straightened his posture to greet his pupils. They walked side by side, Aqua with her hopeful and determined blue eyes and Terra with his steeled body and strong willed expression.

They came forward to him and bowed for a respectful moment, then got closer to him.

“So, was your voyage a success? Did you manage to control your armour and gliders well enough?”

“Yes! It was fantastic, I never imagined the realm inbeteween to be so vast and yet so seemingly empty!”

“Ah, Aqua, this is only because the path to other worlds may only reveal itself to you once you need to go there, don’t make haste on your travels, simply let your heart be your guiding key.”

The two pupils gave their master a determined nod, then Terra took something out of his pockets that made Eraqus eyes widen up and glimmer with a spark of nostalgia.

“Master, we found this on the beaches of the world you had sent us to visit, we wanted to show you proof that we made it there, but we thought that any other world might have had seashells and the like as well so we thought we’d bring you...”

“A Papou fruit” Eraqus stopped the young keyblade wielder during his sentenced and gently took the yellow, star shaped fruit out of Terra’s hands. Simply touching it’s smooth surface made his memories race back to his time in the tower of Scala Ad Caelum. He remembered his games with Xehanort and how they trained together, shared laughs together and chased the sun, until they actually were able to leave the place.

He felt something on his eye, he might have forgotten, or he might he have just repressed it, but a single tear found it’s way through and slowly rolled down his cheek.

“Master!” his pupils shouted together, their eyes both focused on his by memories painted face.

He shook his head and gained posture once more after wiping away the tear that had reached the middle of his cheek.

“My pupils you have done well, yet I have to regrettably tell you that I can not let you have this fruit. It reminds me dearly of a very close friend, memories of whom I had almost lost in a sea of darkness of mine own making. In order to keep and honour these memories I will keep this fruit for myself, please understand that I do not wish to dishearten you, but even a master such as I, has to accept and give in to his emotions occasionally. And though the path to the islands will have closed by now, I do presume that you will once more find your way there, guided by the light in your hearts. You managed to succeed in this test and I will be looking forward to expand your abilities much more. You are dismissed now!”

With a waving of his hand he freed the two pupils from their duties and turned around, knowing full well that the chess figure he had placed like a treasure in his room will from this day onward have a new companion.


End file.
